Police have declared a demonstration to be held this Saturday to press for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's freedom illegal under the Peaceful Assembly Act.The rally in Kuala Lumpur led by PKR Youth's #KitaLawan movement failed to notify the police early enough of its plans, the police said.
Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zainol Samah said that the organiser did not give police enough advance notice to hold the rally as required under the law.
"They have to fill up a form and submit it to us within 10 days before any gathering to be held under Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. I have not received any notice from them," said Zainol in a press conference held at the district police headquarters today, near the venue of the rally which will be held outside the Sogo shopping complex.
He said police had suggested three locations for the gathering, but #KitaLawan organisers had decided to go ahead with the demonstration outside Sogo.
"We suggested Padang Merbuk, Stadium Negara and also the Sultan Sulaiman Club, but they declined," said Zainol.
The police ban on the gathering follows a police report lodged by the management of the Sogo shopping complex against the rally organisers, on the grounds that the demonstration would be bad for business.
Sources told The Malaysian Insider that the report was lodged last week, a few days before the rally outside the same shopping complex on February 28 that was held as a precursor to the March 7 gathering.
Police had allowed the rally on February 28 to proceed.
On that day, about 150 supporters had marched from Sogo to another Kuala Lumpur landmark, the Suria KLCC shopping centre where the Petronas Twin Towers are.
At Sogo, opposition politicians had been able to give speeches to the crowd gathered.
Prior to that, #KitaLawan had also managed to stage two other demonstrations outside Sogo in previous weeks.
Police had met with PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and other #KitaLawan organisers on February 27 to discuss their plans for the March 7 rally.
At that meeting, police told the group that they could proceed with the demonstration provided it was held in a stadium. The group has opted not to.
Sources who told The Malaysian Insider about the police report lodged by the Sogo management said that among the reasons given in the report was that the rallies had affected business, disrupted the flow of traffic, and affected public security, including that of tourists who frequented the area.
It is understood that the operator of a fast food chain in the city also lodged a police report against the rally organiser for causing damage to property during a previous gathering.
To date, six police reports have been lodged by individuals and business entities against #KitaLawan.
Nik Nazmi said the organisers met with police today for 40 minutes.
"They suggested few venues, but we insist of gathering in front of Sogo. They spelled out certain terms and we will bring this back and discuss it with other committee members in a meeting tonight," he said.
Also present at the meeting with the police today were activist Mandeep Singh, Pas Youth treasurer Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar and DAP National Youth chief Teo Kok Seong.
The rally on March 7 is to push for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's resignation and to demand for the release of Anwar, the Opposition Leader.
Anwar's sodomy conviction and five-year jail sentence was upheld by the Federal Court on February 10. His supporters claim it is a ploy to end his political career.
Lawyers have said the Peaceful Assembly Act cannot be used to criminalise rallies, based on a landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal last year that upheld the right to peaceful gatherings.
Lawyers have also warned that police seemed to be using a new "tactic" to nab demonstrators by using the Penal Code instead. – March 4, 2015.
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